Our winter scene breeds Scrooges if left to its own devices.
Prizes like the Golden Snowball Award, an unofficial prize given last year to
the Upstate city with the highest snowfall, bring only a small smile amidst
snow heaps, icy winds, and flu strains.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Thankfully,
there are festivals. That’s right: Some hard-working and happy-go-lucky souls
who don’t even know us have arranged days — sometimes weeks — of fun to
prevent us from developing seasonal affective disorder or moving to California.
Syracuse Winterfest
Bill Cooper and Anne Goehner are two such souls in
Syracuse. The pair is working to thaw winter angst in the city that was last
year’s Golden Snowball Award winner. Cooper claims that Syracuse Winterfest
(February 12 to 22) is the best attraction in Central New York during the
winter months. It has the distinction of being the largest event of its kind in
the northeastern United States.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย One
of the first events of Winterfest is the kickoff to the Medallion Hunt, where a
medallion is hidden on county or city property prior to the first day of Winterfest.
Whoever finds the treasure can take home over $1,000 in prizes.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย In
between the festival’s start and finish much fun will be had, including a
week-long trivia contest, a variety of cook-offs, kids’ games, free ice
skating, and sledding. The Culinary Cruise, which will take place on
Valentine’s Day, lets you sample the appetizers, entrees, and desserts of 15
different restaurants reachable on foot or by bus.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Another
tradition, and one of Cooper’s favorite events, is the human dogsled race. Four
people push or pull a sled while a fifth person rides. If there isn’t enough
snow on the ground — an anomaly in the land of the Golden Snowball — snow
will be trucked in.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย For information, call 315-466-9468 or visit
www.syracusewinterfest.com.
Light in Winter
With a set of snow tires and at least a small
craving for the out-of-the-ordinary winter festival, you should be all set to
enjoy Ithaca’s Light in Winter festival, January 23 to 25. With the vast group
of activities, lectures, concerts, art shows, readings, and museum exhibits,
most people will find something worth a drive.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Twenty-one
different events are scattered throughout three days and various locations at
Ithaca’s impressive collection of museums, colleges, and cultural centers. The
festival doesn’t just offer food vendors and typical performances. This is
truly a light amidst the low-stimulation winter months: Each event provides a
unique fusion of music, art, and science.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย For
example: a concert called “Voice of the Whale,” featuring George Crumb’s piece
for electric flute, electric cello, and amplified prepared piano; a story and
music concert reenacting the activities and voices of a community of African
elephants; a choreographed ice climbing performance; a music performance
illustrating the science of spontaneous order; a combined performance by
chemist and poet Roald Hoffmann and performance artist Michelle Berry; and an
outdoor hunt for snow crystals.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Tickets are available both for individual events and for
weekend packages. For information and detailed event schedules call
607-273-4497 or visit www.lightinwinter.com.
I Love New York Winterfest
If you like the ideaof a dogsled race but would rather not pull your friend around,
check out the IFSS World Cup-qualifying dogsled race at this year’s I Love New
York Winterfest. Held each year in a different region, the I Love New York
Winterfest 2004 will take place in the Tug Hill area — the roughly
2000-square-mile region located in the triangle formed by Watertown, Rome, and
Syracuse. The Tug Hill Challenge alone “draws quite a crowd,” says Suzanne
Bixby, marketing coordinator for the 1000 Islands International Tourism
Council.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “It’s
mushers from all over the country and Canada competing in various dogsled
races,” Bixby says of the Challenge. “It gains in popularity every year. It’s
one of the biggest dogsled events on the East Coast.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย This
Winterfest has already begun: its activities start in early December and
continue through March 14. Events like cross-country-ski and snowmobile races,
sleigh rides, cookouts, a quilt show, and an ice-fishing derby are spread
throughout.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย For information and event schedules call 315-779-8240 or
visit www.visittughill.com.
WinterCity
Toronto will hosta hardcore celebrationfor
14 eye-catching days this winter with WinterCity, a new, expanded version of
Toronto’s annual WinterFest. This year everything is bigger, longer, and
showier, and can make the first two weeks in February a great time to visit or
revisit Toronto. WinterCity’s indoor and outdoor performances, discounts to
cultural institutions, restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions, cooking
demonstrations from top chefs, and family activities make the entire city too
much fun to ignore.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Some
amazing outdoor shows are a part of WinterCity’s Wild on Winter (WOW!) series.
January 30 through February 1, France’s Les Commandos Perรงus will put on a
wild, percussive show set to fireworks. From February 5 to 7, France’s Transe
Express Company will arrange itself in a human mobile (“Mobile Homme“) suspended above the city.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย A
string of performances just for kids, The Cool Kids Series, will bring live
stage appearances from the Kratt Brothers (hosts of the TV show “Zoboomafoo”), Sesame
Street characters, Babar the Elephant, and Strawberry Shortcake. There will
also be nightly family skating parties in Nathan Phillips Square’s community
skating rink, with live music.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย To
provide a break from the chilly outdoor activities, Toronto Eaton Centre will
present performances by Las Vegas’ Inversion, a troupe that specializes in
gravity-defying performances with poles and silk, and various culinary
demonstrations by Canadian chefs.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Most WinterCity events take place in Nathan Phillips Square,
Yonge-Dundas Square, or Mel Lastman Square. All are accessible by public
transportation. Maps, schedules and other information can be found at
416-338-0338 or www.toronto.ca/special_events.
Mendon Ponds Winterfest
For a good, local winterfest, look no further than
Mendon Ponds Park. The ninth annual Mendon Ponds Winterfest will take place
this year on Sunday, January 25. Highlights of this one-day festival include
horse-drawn wagon rides, curling, ice fishing, skiing, and birding.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “You
can feed the chickadees,” says Lisa Nicolay, recreation and education director
for the Monroe County Parks Department. “They eat birdseed right out of your
hand. It’s really cool.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The
Mendon Ponds Winterfest has seen varied attendance its nine years — anywhere
from 600 to 6,000 people have shown up, depending on the weather. “The best we
can hope for is lots of snow and sunshine,” Nicolay says.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย For more information on Mendon Ponds Winterfest, visit
http://www.rochesternordic.org/~winterfest/.
Lakeside Winter Celebration
Attending Rochester’s annual Lakeside Winter
Celebration is another local way to embrace the cold. The festival, which has
taken over Ontario Beach Park for the past 20 years, features family
activities, a Polar Bear Club dip in the Lake Ontario waters, and the Chilly
Chili Challenge — a cook-off that local chili masters have been gearing up
for all year. There are categories for both amateurs and professionals — the
latter typically attracts contestants from area restaurants and caterers, so
taste-testers are in for a treat. Vote for the “Best Chili in Rochester” and
the “People’s Choice Award.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย This
festival is a short one — the afternoon of Sunday, February 8 — but fun and
food won’t be in short supply.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Find information on the Lakeside Winter Celebration at
865-3320 or at www.cityofrochester.gov.
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2004.
